LANSING – Someone once said that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Grand Rapids South Christian’s girls basketball team will have an opportunity to test out that theory now that the Sailors are headed to Michigan State University’s Breslin Center in East Lansing to participate in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Class B Final Four.

The Sailors will take on defending Class B champion Goodrich in Friday’s semifinals at 7:50 p.m. The winner will advance to Saturday’s 6 p.m. state championship game against the winner of Friday’s 6 p.m. semifinal between Midland Bullock Creek (23-3) and Flint Powers Catholic (20-6).

Goodrich graduated three starters from last year’s state title team that defeated South Christian’s OK Gold rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the finals. But Goodrich has stormed back to the Final Four with help from a talented backcourt featuring senior Taylor Gleason and sophomore Tania Davis.

Gleason, who has committed to the University of Illinois, was runner-up in the Michigan Miss Basketball Award voting. She is averaging 21 points and seven rebounds per game.

“The order is tall, but I believe in these young ladies,” South Christian coach Jim DeBruyn said. “They play so hard, and when you play hard, good things happen. Hopefully, we will be able to do that and it will be a positive night for us.

“We are going to have to counter their athleticism with our balance. We are going to have to stop their good players by working together defensively and helping each other out. We are going to have to figure some things out and decide how to approach it.”

The Sailors enter the game with a 24-1 mark, while Goodrich is 23-3. Goodrich, ranked No. 3 in the state, kept its bid for a second consecutive state championship alive with Tuesday’s 66-40 quarterfinal win versus Livonia Ladywood.

South Christian, ranked seventh in B, advanced to the state semis for the first time since 1997 after beating Marshall 53-29 Tuesday. South Christian lost to eventual state runner-up Saginaw Swan Valley, 42-35, in the semifinals in 1997. South Christian’s lone loss this season was to Wayland on Jan. 18.

It has already been a memorable year for DeBruyn, who has been coaching the Sailors since 1989. He earned his 400th career victory on Jan. 11 with a win versus Holland Christian, and South Christian’s 24 wins is a program best.

The best may be yet to come.

“This is a dream come true for the girls,” DeBruyn said. “We have been close before, but not close enough.”

This marks the third time in the past four years that an OK Gold team has advanced to the Final Four. Catholic Central won the 2010 state title and was second a year ago.

“We are excited to represent one of the strongest conferences in the state,” DeBruyn said.